Got Bad Breath? Try to Clean Your Tongue

A dirty tongue reveals itself in many ways, most commonly with bad breath. Mouth bacteria often accumulates on the tongue as a result of food particles and other residue, which can cause that halitosis. One of the easiest ways our Barnhart Dental team recommends for treating bad breath, as a result, is to clean your tongue.

The Benefits of Natural Bacteria

Drs. Barnhart, Dr. Joseph and Dr. John Barnhart want you to know that the bacteria is not necessarily bad for your oral hygiene, protecting your mouth from foreign matter like disease-causing pathogens. Much of the bacteria in your mouth doesn’t require oxygen to live. This means it grows with very little assistance. Although the bacteria in your mouth may smell less than pleasant, it’s largely benign when you make sure to brush and floss every day.

Reducing the Bacteria

You can eliminate these unpleasant aromas coming from your mouth if by brushing or scraping tongue. You can even use mouthwash, therapeutic or non-therapeutic to eliminate the bad smells. Therapeutic mouthwash will help clean your tongue by eliminating some of the bacteria while non-therapeutic bacteria will simply cover the odor. Tongue scraping should done gently to avoid hurting your tongue from too much pressure. You’ll know your tongue is clean when it has a pink fleshy color. However, if your efforts to clean your tongue are unsuccessful and your tongue has an odd color or a strange build up, see your dentist immediately. Reducing your bacteria by cleaning your mouth will not make you prone to infections and disease. There is still beneficial bacteria present to provide protection.

You don’t have to accept an unpleasant smelling mouth. There are things that you can do to eliminate the bad odors without disabling your mouth’s natural army. Tongue brushing and scraping, as well as mouthwashes, can be effective solutions to this problem. If you have any concerns about the health of your tongue, be sure to call your Vienna, MO dental team for top-notch care.